To help readers of The Choice navigate this often complex part of the financial aid process, we have invited Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher of FinAid.org and FastWeb.com, to answer select reader questions about the Fafsa in the blog’s Guidance Office, a forum for college applicants and their families seeking expert advice.

In this second installment of answers, Mr. Kantrowitz responds to questions about whether to wait for tax returns before filing the Fafsa, how to send Fafsa data to more than 10 colleges and how same-sex parents should complete the form. His responses will continue each day throughout this week.

Some questions, and answers, below have been edited, including for length and style. — Tanya Abrams

Waiting for Tax Returns

Q.

My daughter has been accepted to a private college. They advised us that it is better to send in the Fafsa after the 2012 tax returns are in. Is it better to wait until mid-February? Also, can I transfer the tax return info automatically to the Fafsa? Thank you.— Laura

A.

The Fafsa should be filed as soon as possible in order to not miss the deadlines for state grant programs. Some states have February deadlines for the Fafsa and some states award state grants on a first-come-first-served basis. Do not wait until your federal income tax returns are ready.

Applying to Additional Schools

Q.

How do you indicate additional schools on the Fafsa? The form only allows you to send Fafsa information to 10 schools, but what if you have applied to more than 10?

— Mike E

A.

If you want to send your Fafsa data to more than 10 schools, wait until you receive your Student Aid Report, or SAR. This is a sign that the colleges have received your data. You can then change the schools listed on the Fafsa so that the additional schools will receive the data.

The colleges can also retrieve your Fafsa data, if you give them your Social Security number and the data release number (D.R.N.) from your student aid report or confirmation page. The Federal Student Aid Information Center, (800) 4-FED-AID (800 433-3243) can also add the schools for you, if you give them your data release number.

Same-Sex Parents

Q.

We are a same-sex couple in a civil union. The Fafsa does not have a category for same-sex, unmarried couples. Should we designate one of us as the “mother” and the other as the “father” and fill out the form that way, or should we include only one parent on the Fafsa?

— Vickie

A.

Federal law does not currently recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions. Only the student’s biological or adoptive parent is responsible for completing the Fafsa.

If one parent is a biological parent and the other is an adoptive parent, or both are adoptive parents, then the parents are treated according to the rules for divorced parents. Normally with divorced parents, the parent with whom the student lived more is responsible for completing the Fafsa. But because a child of same-sex parents usually lives with both parents equally, the parent responsible for completing the Fafsa is the one who provided more support to the student. This is usually the parent with the greater income.

Any support provided by the other parent to the student is reported as untaxed income to the student on the Fafsa. The other parent can be counted in household size only if the parent who completed the Fafsa provided more than half of the other parent’s support.

State aid may be subject to different rules, if the state is one that recognizes same-sex marriages or civil unions. Consult with a financial aid administrator at the college about the college’s and state’s procedures for handling such situations. California and Massachusetts, in particular, have supplemental forms for the awarding of state student aid to students whose parents are in a same-sex marriage or civil union.

It is sad but true: many children with divorced parents are supported by only one parent rather than both.

In my case, my father was wealthy any my mother had a very limited income (for both living expenses and college). Unfortunately, my father was not willing to contribute to my college education.

That said, the FAFSA required information from both parents since they shared custody and both living. Not surprisingly, my father’s data painted an inaccurate picture regarding how my education would be paid for and my ability to be supported by my parents.

Doesn’t the I.R.S. Data Retrieval Tool take some time for the form to be processed? I think people should be aware that they can’t submit their tax forms one day and expect the data to be available for the FAFSA the next. Also, if they file their taxes on paper, the time until the data is available via the retrieval tool is even longer.